Bbbbut Adrian Clarke rates him
Saka will have to play lb on Monday. We need upgrades on Xhaka, Elneny, Willock and Ceballos
Completely agree on Auba. Most fans though back him blindly and keep referring to the past.
Auba needs to be dropped
shocks me that Xhaka is still a regular. Seems to hold you back loads. just fouls, capable of the extremely rare worldie.
comment by Phendombele (U20037)
posted 21 minutes ago
shocks me that Xhaka is still a regular. Seems to hold you back loads. just fouls, capable of the extremely rare worldie.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I would seriously pair Elneny with Partey. Then have Smith Rowe at #10. HOWEVER..Arteta can't help himself...Smith Rowe was a second striker yesterday...again leaving gaps in that AM area. I dont understand why Arteta keeps shooting himself in the foot. He stumbled across the Martinelli, ESR and Saka trio behind Lacazette...but will do his best to bomb it. Auba should be dropped until he finds his form...the team is more important than one player and if he has an ego...sell him.
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 38 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OK so it's not just me. I dunno what game they were watching but you and I watched the same one I guess
Maine,
Xhaka no doubt has his flaws but the stifling of attack is coming from the back line and it's a strategic approach by Arteta when DL is playing. Last week Xhaka played but other than the youngsters seeming to need Lacazette to get it all just right, there was no shortage of attacking drive and quick paced play. There was also no DL lummoxing about slowing everything down from the back onward.
Sure we could use a Xhaka upgrade. But DL is the slow play monkey to Arteta's organ grinder. That's nothing to do with Xhaka.
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 54 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone was poor yesterday and maybe..maybe Xhaka was our best player. I would say Leno did more to influence the result and Saka..though subpar, had moments of decency.
Xhaka made crucial blocks...but again...is that what he is in the team for? Is he your tough tackling midfielder? Because if you think that is his role...we are in serious trouble. I look at Xhaka as the one to link up play between the lines. I look to him to pick out our wingers and forwards. He did not do that much at all yesterday. And again...him and Luiz in the team...they slow down the game so much. And it did not help that they BOTH were coming from the left side yesterday. The amount of times I saw Xhaka as a left side defender was infuriating as to me..that is NOT his role.
The problem yesterday was it was a return to the same slow build up. Luiz and Xhaka seem to be VERY influential in this With Mari in the team we only had the one extremely slow player. The other issue with Xhaka is he plays the pass in front of him. If you havent seen this watch for it, if there is an achievable pass in front of him he will play it, otherwise back it goes. He will 9 times out of 10 play the easy option , the trick is for the players in front of him to make a forward pass the easy option. The alternative is build fast attacks around him, not through him.
Thing with Xhaka is that he is so ball dominant that he cannot afford to make silly passes in key areas. Yet he does time and time again. From any CM, first thing you want is ball security. On top of that he’s quite slow at releasing the pass especially in counter attacks. Again not good. You look at how Xabi Alonso played, similar positions and style. Yet in terms of ability a massive difference.
However when he’s not doing those two things, he’s useful and actually quite a key. But this rarely happens. He needs to be upgraded ASAP.
comment by MaineGunner (U10130)
posted 1 hour, 56 minutes ago
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 54 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone was poor yesterday and maybe..maybe Xhaka was our best player. I would say Leno did more to influence the result and Saka..though subpar, had moments of decency.
Xhaka made crucial blocks...but again...is that what he is in the team for? Is he your tough tackling midfielder? Because if you think that is his role...we are in serious trouble. I look at Xhaka as the one to link up play between the lines. I look to him to pick out our wingers and forwards. He did not do that much at all yesterday. And again...him and Luiz in the team...they slow down the game so much. And it did not help that they BOTH were coming from the left side yesterday. The amount of times I saw Xhaka as a left side defender was infuriating as to me..that is NOT his role.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah that's fair enough, we still saw Xhaka's weaknesses last night but he had a solid game overall and saved us one maybe two goals. Palace were content with a point and none of our attackers could create or produce any individual brilliance. Partey will provide more forward passing and drive from CM, we need to upgrade on Xhaka/Elneny/Ceba but I'd be fine keeping him as a back up option.
I agree with you that Auba probably should have been the one to make way, but with Martinelli not there I can see why he stayed on, and we moved Saka to left back probably because AMN was so terrible.
As for Xhaka, yes he blows hot and cold but I don't think he was our biggest issue yesterday. I thought he kept us ticking over and made decent amount of progressive passes yesterday, made a few to Auba, set AMN free down the left a few times, and also sprayed a nice couple of early passes to Pepe to set him up to attack the fullback, but too often, those situations were wasted. The attack was the main problem yesterday, with a tired looking Saka, no Tierney and Martinelli, we lacked the penetration from the wide areas.
I would keep Xhaka he is decent backup but we must upgrade with top midfielder like United did with Bruno Fernandez he is main reason they finished top four last season and on top of the league already. So we must at least add AM and LB and another DM if we sell Torreira preferably Bisouma. This team needs three key signings and we will be strong next season. Luiz, Mustafi, Cedric, Chambers, El neny all must be released or sold.
I still say Arteta's missing a problem solving trick by not playing AMN at CM. He and Partey would make a cracking pairing. Pace, power, skill, range passing/shooting, twinkle toes attacking runs all wrapped up in top notch defensive ability.
Between the two players the pairing has it all, they'd run tings
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Xhaka, Saka and the CBs
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posted on 15/1/21
Bbbbut Adrian Clarke rates him
posted on 15/1/21
Saka will have to play lb on Monday. We need upgrades on Xhaka, Elneny, Willock and Ceballos
Completely agree on Auba. Most fans though back him blindly and keep referring to the past.
Auba needs to be dropped
posted on 15/1/21
shocks me that Xhaka is still a regular. Seems to hold you back loads. just fouls, capable of the extremely rare worldie.
posted on 15/1/21
comment by Phendombele (U20037)
posted 21 minutes ago
shocks me that Xhaka is still a regular. Seems to hold you back loads. just fouls, capable of the extremely rare worldie.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I would seriously pair Elneny with Partey. Then have Smith Rowe at #10. HOWEVER..Arteta can't help himself...Smith Rowe was a second striker yesterday...again leaving gaps in that AM area. I dont understand why Arteta keeps shooting himself in the foot. He stumbled across the Martinelli, ESR and Saka trio behind Lacazette...but will do his best to bomb it. Auba should be dropped until he finds his form...the team is more important than one player and if he has an ego...sell him.
posted on 15/1/21
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
posted on 15/1/21
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 38 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
OK so it's not just me. I dunno what game they were watching but you and I watched the same one I guess
posted on 15/1/21
Maine,
Xhaka no doubt has his flaws but the stifling of attack is coming from the back line and it's a strategic approach by Arteta when DL is playing. Last week Xhaka played but other than the youngsters seeming to need Lacazette to get it all just right, there was no shortage of attacking drive and quick paced play. There was also no DL lummoxing about slowing everything down from the back onward.
Sure we could use a Xhaka upgrade. But DL is the slow play monkey to Arteta's organ grinder. That's nothing to do with Xhaka.
posted on 15/1/21
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 54 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone was poor yesterday and maybe..maybe Xhaka was our best player. I would say Leno did more to influence the result and Saka..though subpar, had moments of decency.
Xhaka made crucial blocks...but again...is that what he is in the team for? Is he your tough tackling midfielder? Because if you think that is his role...we are in serious trouble. I look at Xhaka as the one to link up play between the lines. I look to him to pick out our wingers and forwards. He did not do that much at all yesterday. And again...him and Luiz in the team...they slow down the game so much. And it did not help that they BOTH were coming from the left side yesterday. The amount of times I saw Xhaka as a left side defender was infuriating as to me..that is NOT his role.
posted on 15/1/21
The problem yesterday was it was a return to the same slow build up. Luiz and Xhaka seem to be VERY influential in this With Mari in the team we only had the one extremely slow player. The other issue with Xhaka is he plays the pass in front of him. If you havent seen this watch for it, if there is an achievable pass in front of him he will play it, otherwise back it goes. He will 9 times out of 10 play the easy option , the trick is for the players in front of him to make a forward pass the easy option. The alternative is build fast attacks around him, not through him.
posted on 15/1/21
Thing with Xhaka is that he is so ball dominant that he cannot afford to make silly passes in key areas. Yet he does time and time again. From any CM, first thing you want is ball security. On top of that he’s quite slow at releasing the pass especially in counter attacks. Again not good. You look at how Xabi Alonso played, similar positions and style. Yet in terms of ability a massive difference.
However when he’s not doing those two things, he’s useful and actually quite a key. But this rarely happens. He needs to be upgraded ASAP.
posted on 15/1/21
comment by MaineGunner (U10130)
posted 1 hour, 56 minutes ago
comment by 8bit (U2653)
posted 54 minutes ago
Xhaka was our best player yesterday ffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone was poor yesterday and maybe..maybe Xhaka was our best player. I would say Leno did more to influence the result and Saka..though subpar, had moments of decency.
Xhaka made crucial blocks...but again...is that what he is in the team for? Is he your tough tackling midfielder? Because if you think that is his role...we are in serious trouble. I look at Xhaka as the one to link up play between the lines. I look to him to pick out our wingers and forwards. He did not do that much at all yesterday. And again...him and Luiz in the team...they slow down the game so much. And it did not help that they BOTH were coming from the left side yesterday. The amount of times I saw Xhaka as a left side defender was infuriating as to me..that is NOT his role.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah that's fair enough, we still saw Xhaka's weaknesses last night but he had a solid game overall and saved us one maybe two goals. Palace were content with a point and none of our attackers could create or produce any individual brilliance. Partey will provide more forward passing and drive from CM, we need to upgrade on Xhaka/Elneny/Ceba but I'd be fine keeping him as a back up option.
posted on 15/1/21
I agree with you that Auba probably should have been the one to make way, but with Martinelli not there I can see why he stayed on, and we moved Saka to left back probably because AMN was so terrible.
As for Xhaka, yes he blows hot and cold but I don't think he was our biggest issue yesterday. I thought he kept us ticking over and made decent amount of progressive passes yesterday, made a few to Auba, set AMN free down the left a few times, and also sprayed a nice couple of early passes to Pepe to set him up to attack the fullback, but too often, those situations were wasted. The attack was the main problem yesterday, with a tired looking Saka, no Tierney and Martinelli, we lacked the penetration from the wide areas.
posted on 15/1/21
I would keep Xhaka he is decent backup but we must upgrade with top midfielder like United did with Bruno Fernandez he is main reason they finished top four last season and on top of the league already. So we must at least add AM and LB and another DM if we sell Torreira preferably Bisouma. This team needs three key signings and we will be strong next season. Luiz, Mustafi, Cedric, Chambers, El neny all must be released or sold.
posted on 16/1/21
I still say Arteta's missing a problem solving trick by not playing AMN at CM. He and Partey would make a cracking pairing. Pace, power, skill, range passing/shooting, twinkle toes attacking runs all wrapped up in top notch defensive ability.
Between the two players the pairing has it all, they'd run tings
Page 1 of 1